In the early hours of Christmas Morning, a massive explosion shattered windows in downtown Nashville.
A report by the Metro Government said the following: “MNPD, FBI, and ATF are investigating today’s intentional 6:30 a.m. explosion of an RV outside 166 2nd Avenue North downtown. Vehicle and pedestrian traffic downtown is restricted as the investigation continues. Officers responded to shots fired call on 2nd Avenue at approximately 5:30 a.m. The department’s Hazardous Devices Unit was called to check the RV. As those officers were en route, the vehicle exploded outside an A-T-&-T transmission building. Multiple buildings on 2nd Avenue were damaged, some extensively.”
Explosion 2nd Ave N Nashville pic.twitter.com/qhifSTMYSh
— James Green (@babeteamgreen) December 25, 2020
WSMV reported, “Emergency crews have closed a 10-block radius around the site of the explosion. A Metro Police bomb disposal unit was called the scene. … Smoke was visible on the Nashville skyline early Friday morning as people in the surrounding areas as far as College Grove and Mt. Juliet reported feeling a large shaking.”
Three people were transported to a hospital; none were in critical condition, according to fire officials. “One officer in the area was knocked down and experienced hearing loss,” FOX17reported.
“Metro Nashville Police Department spokesman Don Aaron said police responded to a call of shots fired just before 6 a.m. but found no immediate signs of a shooting, although officers noticed a suspicious vehicle and called for a hazardous unit. While they waited, the vehicle exploded,” AP reported.
The Tennessean added, “Just before the blast, officers were conducting door-to-door checks in the area and redirected a man walking his dog along the street. The force of the explosion knocked an officer to the ground. … The owner of the Melting Pot across the street told The Tennessean that guests reported the RV was stationed there since Thursday night. Several people were taken to the department’s central precinct for questioning but authorities declined to give more details Friday morning.”
BREAKING: This is the RV that exploded on 2nd Ave N this morning. It arrived on 2nd Ave at 1:22 a.m. Have you seen this vehicle in our area or do you have information about it? Please contact us via Crime Stoppers at 615-742-7463 or online via https://t.co/dVGS7o0m4v. @ATFHQ pic.twitter.com/JNx9sDinAH
— Metro Nashville PD (@MNPDNashville) December 25, 2020
Nashville mayor John Cooper noted, “We’re a famous place. Again, we’ll know more at the end of the investigation. Why 2ndAvenue? All that, in time, I’m sure the investigation will show. People know where we are, and if people want attention and publicity sometimes they think they can come here to get it; it’s not just New York and Los Angeles. . . . I do think it was clearly done when nobody was going to be around.”
